Posted on 12/30/2016 6:12:20 PM PST by blam
Dec 23, 2016
Ted Miller
Washington and Alabama first played in the 1926 Rose Bowl. AP Photo
The rise of Southeastern football in general and Alabama football specifically and all the endless gloating that goes along with it? It's Washington's fault.
That isn't just jealous prattle from fans of Oregon or Washington State, likely the two fan bases most annoyed by the Huskies' sudden rise to the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl opposite the vaunted Crimson Tide. No, it's a perfectly reasonable extrapolation from the words of multiple historians and sportswriters.
On the surface, No. 4 Washington squaring off with No. 1 Alabama on Dec. 31 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App) feels like a collision of unconnected programs and regions with almost nothing in common. In fact, the four-game series between the two programs -- which has been dominated by the Crimson Tide -- is rife with meaning, most notably from their initial meeting in the 1926 Rose Bowl.
"The most significant event in Southern football history," historian Andrew Doyle said in "Roses of Crimson," a documentary about the game.
It's a view seconded by former Birmingham News sportswriter Clyde Bolton: "The 1926 Rose Bowl was without a doubt the most important game before or since in Southern football history."
Why is that?
Well, in college football then, it was the opposite of today's state of affairs. In the early days, college football programs of the South were widely viewed as inferior to those in the big cities of the Northeast or even the universities of the West Coast. That's why the Rose Bowl, the only bowl game at the time, matched the teams judged to be best from East and West.
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
Alabama will play Washington in the Peach Bowl Saturday, December 31, 2016.
Washington has never beat Alabama in football.
I lived in Dothan in the 1970s. A really fine city. There are a large number of murals on buildings in Dothan. One of them is of Johnny Mack Brown.
Another great athlete from Dothan was Richmond Flowers Jr. At one time, probably the best hurdler in the world. Also a star football player at Tennessee and later in the NFL.
Thanks, I did not know of that Huskie connection with Alabama.
If I was going to bet, I think it would be on Washington. Just a feeling I have.
I’d give you Washington and 10 points.
I believe Alabama's defense will be significant in Alabama winning.
Jake Browning (QB) hasn't done well against teams with good defenses.
I worry about Jalen Hurts though.
(Albeit, I've worried all year)
- Roll Tide -
I bet you would. The line is now 14.
I actually think Washington will win outright and I am a Bama fan since the early 60s.
I believe the Tide is favored by 18points.
I would take Washington and 18 points every day. All day long.
Correction: It’s a 14 point spread.
I would still take that.
I'm watching the Orange Bowl presently...at half time, they said Alabama and 14 points.
Richmond Flowers Jr. Was the son of the Alabama attorney general. The dad was sent to prison in Alabama because of his support of civil rights for Negroes. The son was the very best sprinter in Alabama at the time. Junior went to Tenn. in order to play against Alabama and the evil corruption that sent his dad to prison. Oh yeah, Dothan, Alabama has got an incredible growing season. Vine ripened tomatoes are ready for harvest on June 1st. Junior hated what the political boses did to his dad!
Richmond Flowers Sr.’s conviction had nothing to do with civil rights tho he opposed George Wallace.
I can’t recall the details but he was convicted by the Feds. I was competing at an indoor meet in Montgomery in which Flowers was also competing.
A bunch of us from Troy were sitting together and I mentioned something to our coach about Flowers Sr. being in prison in Montgomery while his Son was competing there.
The coach replied that he was sitting only a few yards from us. They had apparently let him out to watch the meet which was a two day affair.
Washington coach Chris Petersen is my favorite coach, has been since the Fiesta Bowl about 10 years ago when his team of come-through Boise State players beat an excellent Oklahoma team with the ballsiest and best-executed bunch of plays I’ve ever seen back-to-back-to-back.
I don’t know if anyone can beat Alabama, but if any team can, it’s a Petersen-coached team. And his team may not match up to Alabama’s across-the-board 5-star players, but some of the Washington players are also 5-star guys, and every player on that team will play to the best of their ability and will come through in the clutch. That’s Coach Petersen’s forte, as well as his own steel nerves.
It all may not be enough to take down Alabama, but it’s not impossible.
Go Huskies!! (From a not-so proud and very disappointed Husker—after today’s loss to a mediocre Vol team...)
Washington will not pull this out.
The noise alone will beat them. This isn’t Stanford.
Know the history of the Dawgs Rose Bowls games and their unfortunate losses. Hopefully tomorrow they will avenge their prior meetings.
huskyed
You have obviously never been to a game, pro or college, in Seattle. I know TAM has the trademark for 12th man, but the loudest fans in the country are in Seattle, and have been for a very long time.
I grew up in Graceville, Fl, just south of Dothan. I remember the Johnny Mac Brown movies on Saturday afternoons too.
- Roll Tide -
What an interesting story .. thanks !
I’m ok with Bama because way back in 19 and 77, we beat a Number 1-ranked Crimson Tide team, one with lots of All-Americans and a future NFL Hall-of-Famer, and coached by Bear Bryant. And I played very well. That’s a long time to give a sh*t about a game, lol! (And btw, I’m NOT a proud Husky, I’m a formerly proud Husker. There’s a big difference.)
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